[IN THE TRENCHES] Write What you Have

"El Mariachi" (1992)
Just add a bus and maybe you’ve got something

There’s the old adage that you should “write what you know.”

While there’s plenty to be said for that, there are also plenty of instances when you should write what you have.

When it comes to production – especially your own production – how can you make the most of what’s around?

Instead of just writing without restraint, consider channeling your creativity to maximize production value and make your project stand out from the rest.

STUDENT LIFE

As a film student, this perspective is essential. There are no big budgets. There are no big stars. You aren’t likely to pull off a story set in the rings of Jupiter or a shire in Middle Earth. So you’re forced to consider what you have on hand.

Brainstorm the project from that perspective. Do you have access to a cool apartment with a fire escape? A rooftop overlooking the city? An abandoned movie theater?

These simple things can elevate your project and make it special.

One of the earliest projects I worked on at school was essentially a chase through New York City. Led by director, Mark Brian Smith, we thought about what places we knew of that looked cool. Like bridges, outdoor markets, and unique architecture. We roamed the city, shooting in front of one graphic background after another, and making a simple concept into something a little more.

In another film, a friend’s pet iguana was written into the story as a rare poisonous reptile. He made for an unexpected murder weapon and didn’t even demand his own dressing room.

SHORT CIRCUIT

This isn’t limited to students, of course. The same applies to any project.

Josh Lewkowicz, a filmmaker friend with bicoastal collaborators and a drone, worked on the short, Good Friend Man.

"Good Friend Man" (2017)
Who needs a helicopter when you’ve got a professional-grade drone?

It was conceived to take advantage of both the cross-country locations and the drone’s capabilities. This allowed the creative team to design a film that would highlight these special elements, as opposed to just trying to incorporate them into an unrelated idea after the fact.

Identify the unique, special things that can enhance your production and integrate them from the start.

LIMITED LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION

In the golden age of the limited location feature, you want to focus on your assets, not your shortcomings.

Robert Rodriguez is the patron saint, and El Mariachi the poster child, for making the most of what you’ve got. As legend has it, Rodriguez wrote the script for that movie knowing he had access to a ranch, two bars, and a bus. And although it was critical to write a compelling narrative and shoot and edit with a creative eye, those little extras raised the bar.

My director friend, Charles Unger, took that recipe to heart for his own indie. With access to the DGA Building in Hollywood, a fashion company in Downtown LA, and a Buick Skylark convertible, he wrote and directed his feature debut, Mr. Lucke.

GETTING SERIES-OUS

This perspective can serve as a valuable asset while writing for a series as well. You can take some pressure off a producer (and their budget) by gauging what kinds of special things are already at the production’s disposal.

Our home base and primary shooting location for Mowgli: The New Adventures of the Jungle Book, was a former coffee plantation. While we had built recurring sets, the property had a lot more places to find inspiration. And at little to no extra cost.

Walking the grounds revealed many great opportunities to bring something special to our show. There were picturesque cliffs, valleys, abandoned buildings, and even a garbage dump.

Episode ideas were inspired by those untapped locations and features, making the most of what was available at the earliest stage and boosting their potential.

ANIMATION MAXIMIZATION

I’ve talked about this before, but when you’re working on an animated show, you can’t just write anything that comes to mind.


Kuu Kuu Harajuku’s season 1 video game monster returns in season 3 to wreak havoc in the “real world”

I mean, you can of course, but even if fantastical locations and wall-to-wall special effects are cheaper in animation than in live action, that doesn’t mean they’re actually cheap.

It pays to look through the show’s previous episodes and reach out to the production to find out what existing sets and characters have already been designed, but potentially underutilized.

Let your scripts spring from there, focusing your creativity on those assets and elevating what the production has.

This can make you an extremely valuable part of the team and maybe a more desirable hire in future productions.

BIG FINISH

Ultimately, I encourage creatives to take inventory – literally – and channel their imaginations through their existing resources.

While some might believe that art can’t be restrained, writing with intention and purpose is critical if you want to be a professional. Use everything you have to make your projects memorable.

This is another place where the craft of writing comes in. And craft is every bit as valuable as art. Practice it. Develop it. And then make the most of what you’ve got.

Filmically speaking.

________________________________________________________

Cover of the graphic novel, "Blowback" (2021)

Jim Hereth‘s latest project is his debut action/adventure graphic novel, Blowback, nominated for Best Original Graphic Novel and winner of Fan Favorite Villain at the Ringo Awards. Available now in digital and paperback editions at Amazon.

Share This:

Posted in IN THE TRENCHES, Industry, NYU | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on [IN THE TRENCHES] Write What you Have

[IN THE TRENCHES] Writer/Director Timothy Scott Bogart

Timothy Scott Bogart directs, "Spinning Gold" (2023)
A Long and Winding Road

I’ve known Tim Bogart for a long time. We met as Freshmen at NYU‘s Tisch School of the Arts. Possibly the first day, but definitely the first week.

We were part of a group of like-minded friends and when we weren’t talking about movies over pitchers at Bella’s Pizzeria, we were all working on each other’s projects.

If there was one person in our crew who I thought would be a surefire success, it was Tim.

It turns out that surefire doesn’t necessarily happen as easily or in as straight a line as one would expect.

But that doesn’t mean you don’t still pursue it. You keep working, persevering, and someday, that zigzagging, forward-and-backward path might lead you to the destination you were driving for the whole time.

This week, Tim’s passion project, Spinning Gold, has finally hit theaters. Written and directed by Tim, the biopic chronicles the outrageous life and career of his father, Neil Bogart, founder of Casablanca Records.

Pipeline Artists Logo/Graphic.
A Home for Creatives

The head of an iconic label in the 1970’s with Donna Summer, Kiss, Parliament-Funkadelic, and the Village People, Neil was an unstoppable force of nature, much like his kids are today.

I got Tim to sit down for Pipeline Artists and talk to me about his career, his writing, and how Spinning Gold came to be.

You can read the interview here.

________________________________________________________

Cover of the graphic novel, "Blowback" (2021)

Jim Hereth‘s latest project is his debut action/adventure graphic novel, Blowback, nominated for Best Original Graphic Novel and winner of Fan Favorite Villain at the Ringo Awards. Available now in digital and paperback editions at Amazon.

Share This:

Posted in IN THE TRENCHES, Industry, Interview, NYU | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on [IN THE TRENCHES] Writer/Director Timothy Scott Bogart

[IN THE TRENCHES] Graphic Novel Adaptation

2022 wrapped up with the release of the final article in my series for Pipeline Artists, Adapting a Screenplay Into a Graphic Novel.

The Full Boxed Set

As I mentioned when I first got the green light, I’d been looking forward to writing about the experience of putting together Blowback, but it seemed far too involved for a single post.

But through Pipeline, I finally got to break it down into the major steps and elaborate to my heart’s content.

Have you ever thought about adapting one of your scripts to a graphic novel? Maybe writing a comic or graphic novel from scratch? Or perhaps you were just curious to learn how the sausage is generally made.

Well, this is your lucky day.

While there’s no one single way to do this, you might find it interesting to see how Rhonda Smiley and I went about making ours.

In five parts.

Part 1 – Adapting a Screenplay Into a Graphic Novel: Getting Started Before You Get Started

Intro and research for the project. Picking a script to adapt and deciding on specific goals.

Part 2 – Adapting a Screenplay Into a Graphic Novel: The Script

Adapting the screenplay itself. The differences between screenplay and graphic novel script format.

Part 3 – Adapting a Screenplay Into a Graphic Novel: Directing on the Page

Finding and working with artists. An overview of the Production Stages – Layout / Pencils / Inks / Color / Lettering.

Part 4 – Adapting a Screenplay Into a Graphic Novel: Publishing and Release

Traditional publishing vs. creator-owned publishing vs. self-publishing. Prepping files and releasing into the wild.

Part 5 – Adapting a Screenplay Into a Graphic Novel: Shouting from the Rooftops

Promotion and marketing. Different ways to get the word out without breaking the bank. Many without even a withdrawal.

If you get a chance to check them out, I’d love to hear what you think.

Did you like reading them?

Did you love reading them?

Did it make any sense at all?

Let yourselves be heard…

________________________________________________________

Cover of the graphic novel, "Blowback" (2021)

Jim Hereth‘s latest project is his debut action/adventure graphic novel, Blowback, nominated for Best Original Graphic Novel and winner of Fan Favorite Villain at the Ringo Awards. Available now in digital and paperback editions at Amazon.

Share This:

Posted in IN THE TRENCHES, Industry | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on [IN THE TRENCHES] Graphic Novel Adaptation

[ETCETERA] Major Awards

James Hereth's 2022 Ringo Awards pass.
Now it’s official

It’s an honor just to be nominated, as they say.

That’s absolutely true.

But what’s also absolutely true is that it’s even better to win.

Over the course of the last few months, I’ve been to two different industry awards shows – The Mike Wieringo Comic Book Industry Awards and the SOVAS Voice Arts Awards – and I’ve witnessed a whole lot of winning.

THE RINGO AWARDS

As part of the promotion for our graphic novel, Blowback, we rallied on social media to get voting support for the Ringo Awards.

Our efforts were a success as Blowback was ultimately nominated for Best Original Graphic Novel. One of just five and the only self-published book in the category. An honor indeed.

The awards themselves are held annually as part of the Baltimore Comic-Con, which made attending even more of a draw. Unfortunately, living in Los Angeles meant I’d have to fly all the way across the country to Maryland if I wanted to be there in person.

Conundrum.

After much debating, I decided it’d be worth the cost and time to be there to soak it all in. As an indie, I didn’t think we had much of a chance to win, but the opportunity to even hear our book announced alongside all the other amazing nominees was too much to pass up.

Blowback wins Fan Favorite Villain at the 2022 Ringo Awards.
You like us. Right now, you like us.

I might never get the chance again, after all.

With work and family responsibilities to juggle, the trip was a bit of a whirlwind, flying from LA to Baltimore on Friday morning and back again on Sunday afternoon.

It was also my first trip since the start of the pandemic so stress levels were a bit elevated, shall we say. Not liking to fly in the first place didn’t help either. But I pushed through.

A comped weekend pass to the Con was an excellent perk, and made exploring the aisles just a little more special. I spotted fellow Ringo nominees, Fred Van Lente and Ryan Dunlavy at their booth and stopped by to introduce myself.

I’ve talked about Fred’s comic scripting style being a model for our book in my Pipeline Artists graphic novel series, so it was cool to get to thank him in person.

Later, I took in the Breaking Into Comics panel, led by yet more Ringo nominees, and crashed the group photo afterwards.

That night were the Awards themselves, which were held as a dinner, like the Golden Globes. Following a cocktail party, I was seated at a table and got to meet and dine with a bunch of industry vets, like Jim Calafiore, Dirk Wood, and Afua Richardson. Also got a swag bag packed to the rim with books.

James Hereth and John Leguizamo at the 2022 Ringo Awards.
Just a couple of random Mets fans

But it got even better than that.

About halfway through the night, Blowback actually won Fan Favorite Villain and I got to go up to the podium and make a speech! Short and sweet, of course. You don’t want to get played off, after all.

As predicted, Blowback didn’t win Best Original Graphic Novel. On the bright side, however, the category was announced by John Leguizamo, so everybody got to hear him name our book among the nominees.

I also made sure to grab a quick selfie with him afterwards, so it’s properly captured for historical purposes. For science!

All in all, a fine weekend indeed. And I didn’t even have to pay an additional bag charge for the brand new hardware.

THE VOICE ARTS AWARDS

December had me unexpectedly at my next awards show.

My brother-in-law, Dave Kozlowski, is an attorney on the Board of the Society of Voice Arts and Sciences, and was tabbed to present at their annual event.

This year it was being held at Warner Brothers Studios in Burbank, and Dave invited me to join him as a guest.

The location added a touch of nostalgia as one of my very first jobs in town was on the lot as a P.A. on Night Court.

Backstage in the green room, I was introduced to the gracious and friendly SOVAS principals, Rudy Gaskins and Joan Baker.

Whoomp There They Are

After watching Dave navigate the flash bulb storm of the red carpet, we got to enjoy several cocktail party chats, including with Dave’s co-presenter, DC Glenn of Tag Team fame (not to mention the fantastic Scoop There it Is Geico Commercial).

You know, like you do.

The award show itself was held in a theatre, similar to the Academy Awards format.

Honorees included Lifetime Achievement Award winner, Charlie Adler, and the Muhammad Ali Voice of Humanity Honor recipient, Wes Studi.

A wonderful event overall.

CROWD CONTROL

Obviously, a lot of preparation and effort goes into each and every one of these ceremonies to make them special and unique. But cooperation from the attendees seems to be a common need.

Before both of the ones I was at, the attendees were told which side of the stage to approach if they were named a winner, as well as which side to exit.

At the Voice Arts Awards, timing was also crucial, including duration of acceptance speeches (a common award show struggle), and at what point winners should head on down to collect their trophies.

With the Ringos, winners were also instructed to pause after exiting with their awards so that they could have their picture taken by the official photographer. Couldn’t see what happened offstage in the Voice Arts Awards, but I would think something similar.

If you ever get a chance to attend an industry awards show and you can make it happen without breaking the bank, take that leap. It’s something everyone should experience.

Oh, and while we’re here, have a Happy New Year!

________________________________________________________

Cover of the graphic novel, "Blowback" (2021)

Jim Hereth‘s latest project is his debut action/adventure graphic novel, Blowback, nominated for Best Original Graphic Novel and winner of Fan Favorite Villain at the Ringo Awards. Available now in digital and paperback editions at Amazon.

Share This:

Posted in Biographical, ETCETERA, Industry | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on [ETCETERA] Major Awards

[IN THE TRENCHES] Pipeline Artists Part 3

Featured Image for Pipeline Artists article, "Adapting a Screenplay Into a Graphic Novel: Directing on the Page."
Thumbnails, Pencils, Inks, and Color

My latest article for Pipeline Artists posted last week.

Called Adapting a Screenplay Into a Graphic Novel: Directing on the Page, it covers the process of finding and working with artists, as well as the multiple stages of production, including Layout, Pencils, Inks, and Lettering.

In related news, I just got back from the East Coast and the Baltimore Comic-Con.

Blowback was up for Best Original Graphic Novel at the 2022 Ringo Awards, and I was fortunate enough to attend the Awards dinner in person. As promised, there were genuine Maryland crab cakes.

And also John Leguizamo.

It was definitely a whirlwind of a weekend. More on that later.

In the meantime, Happy Halloween!

________________________________________________________

Cover of the graphic novel, "Blowback" (2021)

Jim Hereth‘s latest project is his debut action/adventure graphic novel, Blowback, nominated for Best Original Graphic Novel at the Ringo Awards. Available now in digital and paperback editions at Amazon.

Share This:

Posted in IN THE TRENCHES, SPOTLIGHT | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on [IN THE TRENCHES] Pipeline Artists Part 3

[IN THE TRENCHES] The Ringo Awards and Pipeline Artists

2022 Mike Wieringo Comic Book Industry Awards nominees for Best Original Graphic Novel.

It was a big few weeks for Blowback. Our campaign to rally support for The 2022 Mike Wieringo Comic Book Industry Awards was a success, as we were nominated for Best Original Graphic Novel!

To give that a little perspective, Blowback was the only self-published book in our category, and just one of three on the entire ballot.

Voting in the Final Round is only open to Comic Creative Professionals, and the winners will be announced in a ceremony at The Baltimore Comic-Con on Saturday, October 29th.

Pipeline Artists Article - "Adapting a Screenplay Into a Graphic Novel: The Script.

Meanwhile, my second article for Pipeline Artists was posted earlier this month.

Adapting a Screenplay Into a Graphic Novel: The Script, covers the nuts and bolts of the process.

That includes the differences between screenplay and graphic novel format, managing panels, page turn reveals, and balancing dialogue to image.

There’ll be more articles to come over the next few months, so make sure not to fall too far behind!

I’m only looking out for your best interests.

________________________________________________________

Cover of the graphic novel, "Blowback" (2021)

Jim Hereth‘s latest project is his debut action/adventure graphic novel, Blowback, available now in digital and paperback editions at Amazon.

Share This:

Posted in IN THE TRENCHES, Industry | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on [IN THE TRENCHES] The Ringo Awards and Pipeline Artists

[IN THE TRENCHES] Screenplay to Graphic Novel

Adapting a Screenplay into a Graphic Novel on Pipeline Artists

I’ve written in the past about Rhonda Smiley and me adapting our screenplay, Blowback, into a graphic novel.

I’ve yet to go into much detail, though, as there’s so much to cover.

Now, thanks to the fine folks at Pipeline Artists – specifically Editor-in-Chief, Jeanne Veillette Bowerman – I’ve got lots of real estate to spread out.

In a series of articles for Pipeline over the course of the next few months, I’ll go into depth about suggested steps, along with my specific experiences.

My first piece just went live a couple of weeks ago.

Adapting a Screenplay Into a Graphic Novel Part One: Getting Started Before You Get Started goes over researching the medium, picking a script to adapt, and deciding on goals for the project.

If you’re curious about the process, please click over and take a look.

I mean, why wouldn’t you?

________________________________________________________

Cover of the graphic novel, "Blowback" (2021)

Jim Hereth‘s latest project is his debut action/adventure graphic novel, Blowback, available now in digital and paperback editions at Amazon.

Share This:

Posted in IN THE TRENCHES, Industry | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on [IN THE TRENCHES] Screenplay to Graphic Novel

[IN THE TRENCHES] Odd Jobs

When you’re starting out in the entertainment industry (or perhaps navigating a dry spell), you may just find yourself doing a few odd jobs here and there. Something to bridge the gaps and pay the bills.

"Power Rangers Lightspeed Rescue"
This is about as odd as it gets

Nothing illegal, of course.

Probably.

Then again, this is Hollywood we’re talking about.

Don’t do anything illegal, people!

PA, or Production Assistant – one of the most common first jobs in the business – is almost entirely composed of odd jobs. But it can get subdivided into even odder specifics.

Some friends of mine spent a summer being “Parking PA’s.” That gig is primarily about keeping streets clear overnight so that production vehicles have space to park the next day.

I believe one of the highlights for them was watching over character Billy Batts‘ shallow grave for Goodfellas.

That right there goes to show you that odd jobs can create lifelong memories. And a fine collection of good stories.

Here are a few of mine…

Dangerous

Looking for work early in my industry tenure, I got a short term gig on a behind-the-scenes shoot for Propaganda Films.

I don’t really remember how it came about, but I think I temporarily filled in for a PA and mostly worked at the Propaganda offices. Mostly.

Michael Jackson's "Black or White" video crew badge. MJJ Productions.
A made man

One day I got to be at the rehearsal stage in the middle of Hollywood somewhere.

Which is when Michael Jackson walked through the lobby with a couple members of Another Bad Creation.

The video was Black or White and Jackson was kind of at the height of his career, so it was a pretty cool moment. At the time, anyway. Definitely lost some of that sheen since.

One of the things that video is famous for is the morphing faces at the end, which was something no one had really seen used so effectively before.

Which is a prefect segue to yet another kind of “Morphin….”

Rangers, Mighty Morphin Power

At one point while at NYU, I filled in on sound for a student film. Not because it was something I was interested in, but because so few students seemed to want the gig in general. But it still had to get done.

This led to other student directors hearing about it and asking me to do audio for their projects. Thankfully, not too many.

Anyway, I guess this ended up being a skill set I sort of reluctantly backed into.

Cut to years later and I’m looking for work. A friend of a friend was doing audio for the Power RangersLightspeed Rescue edition – and needed a boom operator to fill in for a day.

Before I could come to my senses, I was in a parking structure in downtown Los Angeles. Sort of near where the locals serve Jury Duty (also reluctantly).

Anyway, it was stressful as I hadn’t done it professionally before and a boom mic in the shot was not a good thing to let happen. After a few set-ups, though, it didn’t even matter anymore.

The production realized they didn’t need sync sound for the action scenes they were doing, so I was sent home. Still, I got paid for a full day with both time-and-a-half and double time because it was a weekend.

And I got to be a (very) a small part of an iconic franchise. Win win.

The King

"On the Road with B.B. King" CD-ROM
A man and his Lucille

Speaking of icons, while working at Wolfcrest Entertainment, we got subcontracted to write an interactive digital biography of B.B. King.

In addition to lots of research, we were flown to Las Vegas to see B.B. in concert, and then interview him in his trailer afterwards.

It was an amazing experience, especially when he referred to me as a “rebel.” I had long hair at the time, so I suppose it was pretty obvious that convention wasn’t for me. B.B. got it.

Ultimately, the company we were working with lost the gig and On the Road with B.B. King was finished without us. Nevertheless, the audio from our talk was used in the final product, including some laughing from we interviewers.

Connected with a blues guitar legend for all of eternity? Check.

Authors Authors

The Rock Bottom Remainders were a garage band made up primarily of authors. An amateur supergroup that would perform at certain book-related functions with proceeds going to charities. Members included Stephen King, Amy Tan, Dave Barry, and Matt Groening.

A made-for-video documentary of the band was conceived and produced, and I was right in the thick of it.

Stephen King of "The Rock Bottom Remainders"
I put that mic on his collar

Returning yet again to my dubious audio skills, I ended up recording most of the interviews, in addition to possibly pushing the dolly during the concert taping.

My credit reads, “Video / Audio Engineer,” which seems like a very generous description of my contribution.

Actually, working on interviews might just be my odd job forte…

Rock and Roll Tape

My very first job after college was working at the syndicated series, Night Flight. One of the Segment Producers there was particularly interested in music and managed to arrange a few interviews with touring bands when they were in town.

Someone had to shoot them, of course, so this is where I came in. I can’t remember all the artists, but I think I shot Drivin’ ‘N’ Cryin‘, and I definitely did The Godfathers and Sisters of Mercy, since I still have the invoices.

No one ever tells you, but the most important part of blogging is a bulletproof filing system.


In the end, even the most unusual jobs can still lead to a paycheck, network connection, or your own grab bag of memories. So keep your mind open and ear to the ground and one day you too can share your tales with the world.

Actually, why wait? Ever have any interesting or bizarre industry jobs? Dry cleaning, perhaps? Babysitting? Body disposal?

Let me know in the comments!

________________________________________________________

Cover of the graphic novel, "Blowback" (2021)

Jim Hereth‘s latest project is his debut action/adventure graphic novel, Blowback, available now in digital and paperback editions at Amazon.

Share This:

Posted in Biographical, IN THE TRENCHES, Industry, NYU | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on [IN THE TRENCHES] Odd Jobs

[IN THE TRENCHES] Episodes

"Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" episode tally as of Spring 2022.
Good luck coming up with something they haven’t done yet

This isn’t a post about the hilarious (but painfully accurate) sitcom, Episodes.

You should check that out, though, if you haven’t. Highly recommended for anyone in general, but even more so for writers.

No, this post is about the sometimes difficult task of coming up with stories when writing for a series. A difficult task we all very much want to be saddled with. When you get an opportunity to write a freelance episode, you jump at it.

Obviously, you start by doing your homework. You watch episodes of the show if they’re already available. If not, the story editor will likely provide you with the show bible and a few completed scripts.

Additionally, you might get a list of loglines for all episodes that have been produced or are in the process of being written. This is to give you an idea of what the stories for the show are like, and – more importantly – identify which ones are already “taken.”

Once you’re up to speed, it’s time for your imagination to get to work.

First and foremost, the series concept and characters are what’ll drive your inspiration. Make sure you dive into that world and explore. Ideas will likely just pop into your head. Some great, some less great, and more than a few half-baked. That’s what we call an excellent start.

But what if you draw a blank for some reason? Or the show has already done all the stories that leapt to mind?

Well, then it’s time to work your craft and manufacture that art.

Write What you Know

Your life and the life of the people around you is where a lot of stories come from. They’re identifiable, they’re real, and they’re dramatic.

If you’re working on a series about super spies saving the world, your life experiences might not end up generating your “A” stories. But they can still provide a nice subplot that’s emotional and gives even a super spy relatable struggles.

Search the Stacks

Barnes & Noble bookstore at the Americana at Brand in Glendale, CA.
For Inspiration and coffee

I’ve talked about visiting libraries and bookstores in the past. There, you can feed off all the stories that came before the one you’re about to create.

Sometimes, just seeing book cover art and reading titles on spines can provide a source of inspiration for something brand new.

It’s also a reminder of iconic storylines and paradigms that can be modified to almost any setting or character. Myths, legends, and fables. All ripe for the picking.

Who knows, maybe even a biblical story could be adapted into an Emmy-winning Ted Lasso episode.

Rip From the Headlines

Hard to type the following words these days, but the news can actually be your friend. On television, on websites, even printed on paper, are example after example of dramatic real-life stories. Life and death. Love and hate. A rich tableau.

Shows like Law and Order even go out of their way to promote the episodes inspired by current events.

An extension of this same type of leaping off point is the documentary category on every streaming service. Some facts are just begging to become fictionalized.

Put Some Lipstick on That Pig

Let’s not forget the classics. Storylines that come up again and again in popular culture.

For me, there are some concepts that I’m naturally drawn to. Favorite themes. Tropes, I suppose.

Archrivals teaming up to battle a common enemy. Or its flipside of two friends becoming temporary enemies. A character searching for something before realizing they had it the whole time.

The trick here is to take these classics and come at them from a new angle or with a new twist, specific to the series and characters.

If you reach the point where you have someone on two separate dates at the same time, or a parent trying to surreptitiously replace their kid’s deceased pet, you might want to go back to the drawing board.

Or just make it your own.

Bank It

Typically, you might pitch three or four story ideas at a time. Of those, you’ll probably only get one or two approved.

Don’t abandon your rejects.

While you’ll likely be most focused on writing out the approved episodes, take a minute and “bank” your rejected storylines.

You worked hard on those pitches. Make sure you add them to a separate and ongoing “story library” document. That way, when you’re trying to come up with new stories on subsequent series, you’ll have a deep well to draw from.

Granted, you’re not likely to be able to use your rejected magical princesses stories for your preschool talking trucks series. But you might be able to use your rejected talking truck series ideas for a subsequent talking car series. Or maybe a talking bicycle series.

You get the idea.

And getting the idea is the entire point.

________________________________________________________

Cover of the graphic novel, "Blowback" (2021)

Jim Hereth‘s latest project is his debut action/adventure graphic novel, Blowback, available now in digital and paperback editions at Amazon.

Share This:

Posted in IN THE TRENCHES, Industry | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on [IN THE TRENCHES] Episodes

[IN THE TRENCHES] For Your Consideration

DVD feature screeners for 2021/2022
Have you considered any of them?

Every year, the entertainment industry goes through several prolonged Awards Seasons.

With film, it’s usually the end of the year for the releases themselves, while the campaigns carry over into the next one.

That covers a slew of ceremonies, including the Golden Globes, BAFTAs, Critics Choice, PGA, and of course, the Oscars.

Television is also included in the Golden Globes, but is more specifically associated with the Emmys. Beyond those are even more subdivisions of guilds, genres, and even mediums.

So how does someone go about getting one of these shiny trophies?

Unfortunately, just making a great movie or show won’t do it. Therefore, studios and production companies need to reach out and bribe voters.

Boxes and boxes of Amazon Studio offerings for your consideration.
Box of Amazon Goodies, anyone? Perhaps two?

Just kidding.

Kind of.

The truth is there are so many movies and series out there – possibly more than ever – that it’s a huge chore to make an audience aware your project even exists. That’s a big first hurdle to overcome before they can even begin to evaluate its merits.

Enter the Award Season’s first cousin, the Screener Season.

For quite awhile, if you were eligible to vote for one of these bits of media, you received envelopes of theatrical screening schedules, along with a glorious influx of silver gold.

For months, your mailbox would fill with a near endless supply of DVD screeners vying for your consideration. If you were eligible to vote for more than one of these awards, you’d even get your share of duplicates.

These days, DVDs are phasing out as more screeners have migrated to online digital versions.

Regardless of the platform, these screeners are always pushed out side-by-side with email promotions, magazine ads, and commercials designed to entice potential voters to watch (or just remember and vote out of familiarity).

Amazon Studios Screener gizmo.
I mean what is it? Can it see me?

Some studios – most noticeably the deep-pocketed Amazon – go even further, sending their screeners in tiny pink suitcases to promote the Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, accompanied by crayons and microwave popcorn for Uncle Frank, or bundled into some sort of USB wireless hotspot for… well, I don’t know.

I’m still not sure what I’m supposed to do with that thing.

All of that, and I’m not even in the Television or Film Academy. The most they can get out of me is a WGA or SAG-AFTRA award.

That being said, every nomination, and especially every win, goes a long way toward marketing and promoting those films.

This is a business, after all, and that’s how the award sausage is made.

In a crazy coincidence, I’m looking to my super-intelligent and good-looking blog readers for a little consideration myself.

For Your Consideration (Seriously)

The Mike Wieringo Comic Book Industry Awards – more commonly known as The Ringo Awards – recently opened up to nominations for work released in the 2021 calendar year. Both pros and fans alike are eligible to vote (that means us).

So, if you’ve ever enjoyed anything I wrote here (or hated it all, but would like to be fashionably ironic), please consider clicking over and writing in my indie graphic novel, Blowback, and all the creatives that made it happen (voting ends June 30th).

Here’s a handy dandy guide with the specifics. Feel free to cut-and-paste…

BEST WRITER
James Hereth & Rhonda Smiley – Blowback
BEST ARTIST
Kev Hopgood – Blowback
BEST INKER
Kev Hopgood – Blowback
BEST LETTERER
Kev Hopgood – Blowback
BEST COLORIST
Charlie Kirchoff – Blowback
BEST COVER ARTIST
Kev Hopgood – Blowback
BEST ORIGINAL GRAPHIC NOVEL
Blowback
FAVORITE HERO
Sgt. Davis – Blowback
FAVORITE VILLAIN
Captain Martell – Blowback
FAVORITE NEW TALENT
James Hereth & Rhonda Smiley

For You Consideration in the Ringo Awards, indie graphic novel, Blowback.
Thank you in advance for the support

________________________________________________________

Cover of the graphic novel, "Blowback" (2021)

Jim Hereth‘s latest project is his debut action/adventure graphic novel, Blowback, available now in digital and paperback editions at Amazon.

Share This:

Posted in IN THE TRENCHES | Comments Off on [IN THE TRENCHES] For Your Consideration